Planting device



July 11, 1939. A. e. THOMAS PLANTING DEVICE Filed Feb. 4, 1958.

' Inventor Patented July 11, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT Z PLANTING DEVICEAlbert G. Thomas, Lynchburg,

Sydnor-Thompson Lynchburg, Va.

Application February 4, 1938, Serial No. 188,591 f 3 Claims.

This invention relates to plant setting devices. An object is to providea device for setting plants such as tobacco, cabbage, tomatoes, etc., sothat the plants may be easily placed in position, watered, andsufficiently covered with earth, with a minimum of effort.

Another object is to provide a plant setter of simple construction sothat it can be manufactured cheaply.

In the drawing, which represents a part sectional side elevation, watertank I has attached plant tube 2 leading into the space between shovels3 and 4. Shovel 3 is fixed to the plant tube, or to the water tank orboth, and shovel 4 is pivoted to shovel 3 by means of pivot 5 and anopposite pivot not shown. Bottom 6 is soldered into the bottom of tankI, at an angle, and has opening 1 through which rod 8 passes to bepivoted to lug 9 on shovel 4, by means of bent extension I0 passingthrough opening II in shovel 4. Water guide 29 is fastened to shovel 4.Rod 8 is pivoted to manual squeeze bar I2 by means of pivot I3 and barI2 is pivoted at I4 to an ear on vertical handle supporting leg I5 whichis fastened to tank I. Front vertical handle leg I6 is also fastened totank I and has a suitable vertical guide slot through which the frontend of bar l2 can travel. Handle I1 is fastened to legs l5 and I6 and toconnecting metal strip I8.

Tension spring I9 is fastened to rod 8 and to tank I and tends to pullrod 8 in downward direction to keep pivoted shovel 4 pressed tightlyagainst fixed shovel 3 and also to keep valve 20 tightly pressed againstan annular area around the edge of opening 1, so that this opening willbe normally closed. Valve 20 is vertically slidable on rod 8 and fitsthis rod closely to prevent leakage of water. The valve is preferablyprovided with a back disc 2| with hub and has attached soft bottomfacing 22 of leather or rubber, to prevent leakage. Pin 23 on rod 8normally lies below valve 20 and pin 3| on the same rod limits theupward movement of similar valve 24 which has a central hole so that itis slidable on rod 8, downward from pin 3|. Valve 24 similarly has backdisc 25 with hub and upper facing 26 of leather or rubber so that whenrod 8 is pulled upward, the valve willclose opening 21 in housing 28which surrounds the valves. Housing 28 is soldered to bottom 6 as shown.Compression spring 30 is placed between the valves, and around rod 8, sothat valve 24 will normally be pressed against pin 3| and valve 20 willnormally be pressed downward against bottom 6. Pin 3| normally liesbelow the top of housing 28 Va., assignor to Mfg. Company, Inc.,

so that water from tank I will flow through opening 21 to fill thishousing. Air will escape through opening 21.

Now, when it is desired to use the device, a plant is dropped, rootsfirst, into plant tube 2 so that the plant comes to rest between theshovels. The closed shovels are then pressed into soft earth and squeezebar I2 is pulled upward toward handle I1, so that rod 8 will be pulledupward against'the tension of spring I9 and valve 24 will quickly closeopening 21. Further upward movement of rod 8 will cause pin 23 finallyto strike valve 20 and to lift it from its seat so that the water in thehousing 28 will be discharged through opening 1 whence it will 1 flow tothe roots of the plant, being directed by guide 29. While valve 20 islifted off its seat valve 24 is pressed tightly over opening 21, insidehousing 28, so that no more water enters, spring 30 being compressed inthe meanwhile. The upward movement of rod 8 simultaneously causespivoted shovel 4 to swing outward to open a space in the ground for theplant.

When squeeze bar I2 is released spring l9 pulls rod 8 downward so thatvalve 20 again closes opening 1 and further downward movement causes pin3| to strike valve 24 and to press it downward as shown, againstcompression spring 30, so that housing 28 will again be filled withwater. Therefore a definite quantity of water is Any suitable devicessuch as wings on the shovels may be used for placing dirt around theplant. The shovels are withdrawn from the earth while in open position,as usual.

What I claim is:

1. In a planting device, a tank for liquid, a shovel fixed to the lowerpart of said device, a movable shovel pivoted to said fixed shovel, aplant tube fastened to said tank and leading into the space between saidshovels, yielding means normally urging said pivoted shovel toward saidfixed shovel, means to rotate said pivoted shovel away from said fixedshovel, a valve casing in the bottom of said tank consisting of ahousing with a top opening and a bottom opening, a valve rod movablethrough said top opening and carrying a valve for said top opening and avalve for said bottom opening, said valves being placed within saidhousing so that when said valve rod is lifted, said top opening isclosed and then said bottom opening is uncovered, and when said rod islowered said bottom opening is covered and then said top opening isuncovered, a handle attached to said device, means placed near saidhandle for operating said valve rod, said valve rod being extendedthrough said bottom opening and pivoted to said movable shovel.

2. A planting device comprising, a tank for liquid, a handle attachedtosaid device, a pair of relatively movable shovels attached to thelower part of said device, means for moving one of said shovels, anopening in the bottom of said tank, a housing surrounding said opening,a valve opening in said housing, a valve rod movable through saidhousing opening; a valve for said housing opening carried by said rod, avalve for said tank opening carried by said rod, said valves beingarranged on said rod so that said housing will be alternately filledwith said liquid and then emptied as said valve rod is operated,

and said valve rod being pivo-tally attached to the movable shovel sothat said shovel will be moved as said valves are moved.

3. In a planting device, a tank for liquid, a shovel fixed to the lowerpart of said device, a movable shovel pivoted to said fixed shovel, aplant tube fastened to said tank and leading into the space between saidshovels, yielding means normally urging said movable shovel toward saidfixed shovel, a valve in the bottom of said tank, a handle attached tosaid device, a valve operating rod extending downwardly from adjacentsaid handle, said rod being attached to said valve and pivoted to saidmovable shovel, said rod passing through an opening in said movableshovel, and the end of said rod adjacent said handle being adapted to bemoved manually to operate said valve and said movable shovel.

' ALBERT G. THOMAS.

